Lithuania's Declaration of Independence was signed here on 16 February 1918. Today, across 14 rooms of this 18th-century house, you'll find a reverent exhibition of materials relating to the National Movement and the signatories themselves. Independence didn’t last long; by 1920 the Poles had retaken Vilnius and the city was only returned to the Lithuanian heartland in 1939 as a ‘gift’ by Stalin.
House of Signatories
Vilnius
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
0.25 MILES
If you only see one museum in Vilnius, make it this one. On a site that has been settled since the 4th century AD stands the latest in a procession of…
0.26 MILES
Stately Vilnius Cathedral, divorced from its freestanding belfry, is a national symbol and the city's most instantly recognisable building. Known in full…
0.11 MILES
Founded in 1579 during the Catholic Counter Reformation, Vilnius University was run by Jesuits for two centuries. During the 19th century it became one of…
0.86 MILES
This former headquarters of the KGB (and before them the Gestapo, Polish occupiers and Tsarist judiciary) houses a museum dedicated to thousands of…
0.26 MILES
Climb the creaky stairs into the free-standing belfry of Vilnius Cathedral, once part of the city's 13th-century defences. Towering 57m high, it's one of…
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14.43 MILES
Stepping across the wooden walkway to Trakai's Gothic castle is like tripping into a fairy tale. The castle is estimated to date from around 1400, when…
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10.49 MILES
Some 21km north of Vilnius, off the Utena road, is Europos Parkas. Leading contemporary sculptors, including Sol LeWitt and Dennis Oppenheim, show over…
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0.24 MILES
Katedros aikštė buzzes with local life. In the 19th century markets and fairs were held here and a moat ran around what is now the square’s perimeter so…
Nearby Vilnius attractions
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The gallery of the courtyard – the largest of the 13 that comprise Vilnius University's 'architectural ensemble' – features plaques commemorating the…
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The full name is 'Church of St Johns, St John the Baptist and St John the Apostle and Evangelist', but 'Sts Johns' (plural) will do nicely. Founded in…
0.08 MILES
Dedicated to Baltic gold and the beautiful things it can be crafted into, this enthusiastic little museum occupies a 17th-century baroque house. Upstairs…
4. Astronomical Observatory Courtyard
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Laid over an older garden, the courtyard boasts an 18th-century observatory painted with zodiacal signs.
0.11 MILES
Founded in 1579 during the Catholic Counter Reformation, Vilnius University was run by Jesuits for two centuries. During the 19th century it became one of…
6. St Michael the Archangel Church
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This grand early-17th-century chuch, built by the Sapiega family, now houses a wonderful museum of sacral art. The building itself, with its single Gothic…
7. Mickiewicz Memorial Apartment & Museum
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‘Lithuania, my fatherland…’ is from Poland’s romantic masterpiece Pan Tadeusz. Its Polish author Adam Mickiewicz (1798–1855) – muse to Polish nationalists…
0.12 MILES
Built in the early 17th century, with substantial additions in the 19th, the Chodkeviciai Palace now houses a permanent exhibition of Lithuanian art from…